A Tale for the Time Being

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This thread is to discuss A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki.

Pages: 422 pages

Length: 1 Month (November)

Participants: oshizu, Margie, Sunny, Trisha.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

[Sunny]

I'm going to start reading on the 2nd.

[Trisha]

I'll start probably by mid next week or later - why am I so behind with my reading when the month has just started?

[Sunny]

I think I feel behind because time seems to be flying by so quickly! Seems like a month starts and then it's in the middle in the wink of an eye!

Finished the Part 1 yesterday morning.

Part 1 (view spoiler)[

The writing style and the characters have really grabbed me and I'm caught up in Nao's diary and in Ruth's life as she reads through the diary and goes through her daily existence. There is quite a bit of drama and mourning of various types taking place in both of the character's lives and it's interesting the way the author is weaving everything together. I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out in the end for everyone -- including Pesto, another fine feline who adds bits of humor and warmth each time he comes on stage.

Some of my favorite things from this section:

"I've always been here as far as I remember."

"You should start where you are."

As much as doing anything to books caused me to wince, I did like the concept of the "hack" and replacing the pages with blank pages to make a diary.

And the way the author wove in Proust's "time" with Nao's "time" was nifty. Her choosing the French title as a disguise made me smile.

And I had never thought of the concept of "the words for books being all jumbled up, having fallen to the bottom when the covers were shut." What a marvelous idea! (hide spoiler)]

[oshizu]

I won't be able to start this book until 4-5 more days, at the latest.
We can all just read when we can and then respond to each other's comments, right?

[Sunny]

oshizu wrote: "I won't be able to start this book until 4-5 more days, at the latest.
We can all just read when we can and then respond to each other's comments, right?"

Yep! :)

[Trisha]

That’s what I’ll do - respond to you ladies when I get to this one!

[Sunny]

I finished reading Part 2 on the 10th and planned to read Parts 3 & 4 over the weekend, which I would explain at the conclusion of my comments and remarks on Part 2 I would share on the 12th. Somehow, though, when the 11th rolled around, I found myself reading Part 3, which I immediately followed with 4 all the way to the final page. I was just too captivated with this amazing piece of art to let it go unread to it's conclusion any longer.

(view spoiler)[With all the the theories being tossed around, I was expecting Nao & Ruth to be the same person -- Ruth being unable to remember her previous experiences as Nao, which doesn't make sense time wise, unless you go with the theory that they exist in parallel worlds as the same person -- and yet not the same. It's really kind of dizzying ain't it?!

I enjoyed the crow being part of the story because I like crows. They're funny and intelligent and watching them strut around in the yard/world makes me feel good.

The interaction between Nao and Jiko was beautifully woven and satisfyingly comforting.

I personally would not go beating a wave because I don't like water to be over my face/head. Showering and washing my hair are experiences I endure as quickly as possible. However, I grasp the concept of beating the wave and think it's a cool concept.

I didn't see Nao's time in the brothel coming, though I should have. I guess I got distracted my some of the other stuff taking place and missed the connection.

I felt sorry for Nao's father and liked him in spite of his depression. I'm glad he he turned out to be a man of conscience, as was his uncle, Haruki #1, during World War II.

Haruki #1's secret French diary was one of my favorite parts. I enjoy history from this time period and glimpses of it through his eyes provided new insight.

Another favorite part is when Ruth's mom went to the junk yard and got all the free stuff at the store. She was so happy each time -- and that happiness spread over the people in her life and gave them what they needed. It reminded of Ethel, a lady I knew when I worked at an assisted living home. No matter what the weather, she would always see rainbows when she looked out the window and it made her so happy.

I wasn't surprised when Pesto turned out to be alive -- cats have 9 lives, you know? And who knows which life he's on?!

Some of the things that caught my attention:

I've been here felt this a few times over the years:

"There's nothing sadder than cyberspace when you're floating around out there, all alone, talking to yourself."

Such a lovely image this painted:

"...even though I know you can't hold on to water, I still gripped her fingers a little more tightly to keep her from leaking away."

This is so true:

"We must live the life we have. We must soldier on."

And these are simply lovely bits to me:

"Life is full of stories. Or maybe life is only stories."

"She wasn't crying ... They [tears] were just the memories leaking out."

"Because all moments are the time being ... they are your time being." (hide spoiler)]

I gave it 4 stars and wrote a simple review: I'm really glad I read this book and will for sure be reading it again!

[oshizu]

I'm going to start this book over the weekend, maybe.
My IPad broke 2 days ago and I don't really enjoy reading books using the Kindle for PC app. :(

[Sunny]

oshizu wrote: "I'm going to start this book over the weekend, maybe.
My IPad broke 2 days ago and I don't really enjoy reading books using the Kindle for PC app. :("

Awww ... how annoying these machines can be! And with the new year coming up and everything :( Hope things get better soon!

[oshizu]

Haha, I think my IPad is fine, but its USB cable is ripped up.
So I ordered a new cable and am crossing my fingers.

[oshizu]

I only got as far as page 53 today, which about halfway through Part 1.

Just some random comments
(view spoiler)[*Japanese language: When Ruth is talking with Muriel about the letters found in the Hello Kitty lunchbox, she says that the language hasn't changed since 1944-1945, but the people have. That's not completely true. The writing system of historical orthography was abolished in 1946 and replaced with the current system of a 51-character syllabary.
Also, between 1923-1946, the Japanese gov't streamlined the quantity and simplified the form of Sino-Japanese logograms (kanji).
So, I would say language, especially, it's orthography/writing changed drastically.
*French maid cafes: I remember when maid cafes in Akihabara were otaku hangouts. Here's a video clip from a popular TV drama (2008) to help you imagine the experience. A group of high schoolers plan to run a cafe for their school's cultural festival and visit a maid cafe for "research." The two older men sitting at the counter are yakuza (gangsters).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB5KY...

Here's a second video from 2 years ago. This is not a TV drama episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5svb...

And not to fear! There are also "butler cafes" for the ladies. :C

*High school: If you're wondering why Nao mentions high school entrance exams. High school isn't compulsory in Japan. Getting accepted into a high school (public or private) requires passing an entrance exam, like for college. Despite high school not being compulsory, about 97% of Japanese jr high school kids continue to high school.

*Post-Sunnyvale: Family life after the post dot.com bubble is tragic; Nao gets bullied at school and fails to adjust socially; her mother has a breakdown; and her father pretends to get a job but is actually just betting at the race track. I'm hoping that their life improves though I suspect the father will attempt suicide again.

*Ruth: I wonder how much the character Ruth resembles the author. (hide spoiler)]

Don't really have much to say because I've only read 50+ pages. I'll come back at the end of Part I.

[oshizu]

First of all, I must apologize to Margie for persuading her to read Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book prior to reading this book. For some reason I can no longer remember, I'd been convinced that A Tale for the Time Being was somehow inspired by that early 11th-century collection of anecdotes of courtly life and lists. If it's any consolation, Margie, I also (re)read The Pillow in preparation for reading this book. One should never regret reading The Pillow Book, for any reason.

I finished the book this morning, so here are some thoughts
(view spoiler)[After Part 1, I'd rather assumed that the book would alternate between a blithe intro to popular Japanese culture and Ruth's reclusive life in Canada. I was so wrong!
On a personal note, I'd moved back from Tokyo to the Bay Area in 1998, so I remember clearly post-bubble Japan in the 1990s and the ensuing dot-com bubble fiasco in the Bay Area soon after--it's like I experienced the bubble twice.

Returning to the book, it is one of my favorite reads of 2020. I admire the deftness with which the author moved from the extreme cruelty among towns, the timeless wisdom of the medieval monk Dogen and ex-anarchist nun Old Jiko, the hopelessness of Haruki #2 and his hard-working wife, Nao's reckless phase of "compensated dating" (aka teenage prostitution), and Haruki #1's struggle to remain faithful to his values.

*Ruth and Nao's journal: I liked how Ruth respected Nao's writing and thoughts by not rushing through her journal. It's ironic that Ruth feels stuck and unable to make any progress with her memoir, while Nao write freely and prolifically about her own life, apparently filter free.

*Ruth and Oliver: I don't know, she seemed kind of mean to him sometimes. It's not his fault that she's been unable to write recently. There are moments when Oliver understands what's going on better than Ruth (e.g., the identity of C. Imperator in the panties auction). Whenever this happens, Ruth feels offended--why?

Zen Buddhism: the sections dealing with or alluding to Zen Buddhism were very well done. I am tired of seeing Zen used as an adverb by English speakers. When Nao spends the summer with Jiko, the nun tells Nao to "battle the waves." I was surprised to later read her son Haruki #1 use this same phrase about his decision to plunge his plane into the sea, aborting his suicide mission.

Haruki #1's secret diary: We know that, through a bit of time-travel magical realism, Ruth placed that secret French diary into the box on the family altar in Jiko's temple. How did it fall into Ruth's hands via Muriel?
Did it fall into the ocean with its owner Haruki #1, then make its way over ocean currents separately but around the same time as Nao's Hello Kitty lunchbox?

Language: Although it happened rarely in Parts 3 and 4, short Japanese phrases and sentences along with their English translation popped up enough to annoy me in Parts 1 and 2. It's not as if they were attempts to define a concept non-existent in the English language or signal the rare occasions when Nao and her people were speaking in Japanese.
I found the insertion of everyday phrases in Japanese gratuitous. Sometimes they would appear romanized, sometimes they would appear in the Japanese writing system--they didn't enhance my reading experience at all.
I think unique cultural practices and concepts should be highlighted, but most of the conversational exchanges in Japanese seemed unhelpful (to me).
Question: I'm curious how you felt about the insertion of Japanese phrases. Japanese has a complex system of honorific and humilific suffixes, but seeing phrases written in disrepctful Japanese hardly matters if it's just translated into everyday English. *shrugs

Earthquake-sensing catfish: Is it true that they can grow to a length of 12-13 feet?

I'm not sure how I feel about the quantum physics theorizing at the end. Ruth the character seems to have a complex about not being smart enough, and she also seemed rather unconvinced.

Anyway, I loved reading about Nao's journey. I'm glad she discovered the root of her father's depression and reconciled with him. Oddly, Nao and her father changed and grew a lot, but can the same be said for Ruth and Oliver?
In the end, she admits (not that enthusiastically) that she's happy for now with Oliver, who is not a Captain of Industry. (hide spoiler)]

In response to Sunny
(view spoiler)[Nao wasn't actually "working in a brothel" as it's understood in the US. Men would visit the maid cafe (but don't think all maid cafes are fronts for teen prostitution) and state their request to Babette, then Nao would go on a "date" with the man to a love hotel (hotels designed specifically for trysts). A brothel would also include rooms for the assignations, right? Babette runs a dating service out of the maid cafe, but the johns take their dates elsewhere. Also, it's not explained but "enjo-kosai"(literally "subsidized socializing") is a term that emerged in late 1990s Japan and generally refers to teen prostitution with older men as clientele offering money and gifts. (hide spoiler)]

Sorry, I didn't mean to write so much.

[Sunny]

oshizu wrote: "First of all, I must apologize to Margie for persuading her to read Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book prior to reading this book. For some reason I can no longer remember, I'd been convin..."

Oshizu- I'm glad you wrote so much. I enjoyed your insights to everything. It helped me grasp more of what took place in the book, which I will be re-reading one of these days.

(view spoiler)[I enjoyed Nao's voice so much, I wish we could hear more from her. She's pretty amazing.

I found the "Japanese phrases and sentences along with their English translations" kind of annoying, too ... especially since they didn't really do anything. I didn't get much from seeing all the conversations in Japanese. I knew I was in Japan and having the language inserted really didn't add all that much to my experience. I didn't mind when Jiko spoke in Japanese now and then because I expect that from characters in books that speak other languages. And most of the time, I have no idea what they're saying ... and it doesn't bother me. Of course, an interpretation is good if it's needed to explain something in the story.

I got kind of tired of the footnotes, though I understand whey they're there.

I completely forgot about that French diary being in Muriel's hands and of Ruth placing it in the box. It had to have gotten out of Haruki #1's hands in some way. All of it seems to have hinged on the waves of the ocean getting things to where they needed to go for the purpose for which they were needed.

I didn't like Ruth as much as I liked Oliver. She was mean to him at times and seemed to blame him for things over which he had no control. And she seemed to not care one way or the other in the end about being with him. It was as if, she was settling for something that was 2nd best. I think Oliver deserved better. I couldn't figure out why she even wanted a Captain of Industry to begin with. If that's what she wants, why not get one and stop wanting Oliver to be what he's not. I was really kind of annoyed with her most of the time. To answer your question: I don't think either of them grew or changed all that much. I'm not sure that Oliver needed to change that much, but maybe I'm defending him because Ruth seems so down on him.

Did Ruth really like anyone on the Island? She seems to have not liked the place at all.

Thanks for the explanation of maid cafes and such ... that gives me a better picture of things. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

Too late, but I have finally got around to this book. Through Part 1 as of ‘Now’, or as Nao has convinced me to believe that ‘now’ is already over, so I’m through Part 1 as of the then now.

My thoughts:(view spoiler)[
You both have already beautifully expressed every little thought I’ve had until this stage, so I don’t have much to add other than that I’m horrified with the way Nao was being bullied at her school. Being someone who needs constant attention and can’t do without being heard, it’s hard for me to even remotely understand what being made to feel invisible would feel like. It would’ve driven me insane, had I been in her place. :(

I’m finding the two timelines quite interesting. There seems to be a bizarre connection between Ruth and Nao, it’s probably their similar inheritance or their gnawing loneliness. I don’t find Ruth’s narration reliable at this stage - her narrative seems to be over powered by Nao’s experiences and she’s basically mulling over things that are in direct resonance with Nao’s. I’d like to know more about Ruth and Oliver’s life in general, how they were like before the hello kitty box knocked up at the shore. Also, what’s with the Japanese crow? Every time it’s mentioned, I’m reminded of 1Q84. (hide spoiler)]

Sunny
(view spoiler)[Those lines you quoted are so deep and beautiful! And I, too, loved Nao’s reasoning behind picking up the French book. The connection between the book’s title and Nao’s account is noticeable. (hide spoiler)]

oshizu
(view spoiler)[Thank you for sharing those videos - I’ve never seen anything like that and that’s saying something because I have travelled quite a lot across the globe. The cafes with their maids were cute although the functioning was quite dramatic. ;)

Even I’m thinking of all the similarities between Ruth & Nao. Although, till the part I’ve read, Nao seems to a better person than Ruth. (hide spoiler)]

[oshizu]

Trisha, I am so very happy that you've found time to read this book!
I was quite sure that you'd enjoy it and felt sad that you were busy last month!
So, yay!

About Ruth's self-depiction
(view spoiler)[It's so curious how the book's Ruth seems to be a stand-in for the author, and yet she's presented as a rather flawed character. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

oshizu wrote: "About Ruth's self-depiction..."

oshizu, (view spoiler)[Curious indeed! But I’m enjoying this lack of perfection in Ruth; flawed narrators and protagonists make the experience more realistic and relatable. (hide spoiler)]

Btw, I was never giving up on this book. Four of my friends (that’s including you) have rated this book a perfect 5 on 5 🌟, although I haven’t read any reviews but the sparkling stars grabbed my attention.

[Sunny]

I'm glad you're reading this one, too, Trish!

[Trisha]

Hey ladies, I finished this book nearly a week ago but forgot to Mark it as finished on goodreads and drop by here; I’m so sorry! Just read all your spoilers and I must say that your inputs have added more perspective to my thoughts. Thank you for sharing! For me, this was a beautiful book - not perfect I’d say but still so calming and satisfying even with all its imperfections.

I’ll just add one tiny spoiler - (view spoiler)[
I agree Ruth was downright mean throughout the book, but my perception of her character changed with the course of the plot. She is an insecure person, who has migrated to a place completely opposite to where she pictures herself. Having seen her mother battling with Alzheimer’s, she fears the same for herself and loses her cool every time she misses a tiny detail, or comes across a fact she is supposed to know only to realise she has forgotten it. All this makes her edgy which comes out as mean to us.

I really liked her response to Oliver when she said that she was happy “for now”. I loved her honesty towards Oliver and foremost, towards herself. She is not faking, not making promises of a happy future that she might not have. She is being realistic and genuine, telling her husband her actual feelings. And that’s exactly what Oliver wants from his wife and which is why he is happy and content with her answer. I think that was beautiful! (hide spoiler)]

[Sunny]

Trisha wrote: "Hey ladies, I finished this book nearly a week ago but forgot to Mark it as finished on goodreads and drop by here; I’m so sorry! Just read all your spoilers and I must say that your inputs have ad..."

Love your insights/thoughts about Ruth. Helped me see her a bit more sympathetically.

[oshizu]

Trisha
I enjoyed your last comment about Ruth so much!
She and Oliver are very well matched. When she feels upset and metaphorically pushes him away, he never pushes back.